Stint with Saqlain has helped me: Shillingford

West Indies have been nothing short of disappointing in this series and are now on the verge of suffering their second innings defeat on the trot. While their showing has been lack-lustre, Shane Shillingford has been terrific with the ball and he went on to pick up his second consecutive five-wicket haul in this series, his fifth on the trot, to enter the record books.

The off-spinner, by picking up 5/179 in the first innings of the second Test, became the first West Indian bowler to pick up five fifers in successive innings. The Dominica-born cricketer, speaking to reporters at the end of the second day's play, said he put in a lot of hard-work and was reaping the rewards.

"When I left home, I was up for a challenge coming to India. I knew it was a spinning track but also knew at the back of mind that the Indian batsmen are batting pretty well. I knew it was not going to be an easy work. It was a lot of hard work and stuff. I enjoyed every moment of it," he said.

The 30-year-old said the stint with former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq helped him a lot. "I prepared the same way. Bowled a lot of balls... Before coming to India, I was doing something with Saqlain, perhaps that has helped me a lot."

Shillingford said he tried a lot of things but could not get the better of Sachin Tendulkar, who used his feet well against him.

"I think as a batsman, he uses his feet very well. Coming back and forth and getting to the pitch of the ball, that is what really works for him. He has been doing it for so many years, he only got better and better."

The batting legend missed out signing off with a ton as he fell to Narsingh Deonarine on 74. While mentioning that West Indies did not have any specific plan with regards to Deonarine, the spinner congratulated his team-mate for dismissing Tendulkar in what could be his final innings.

"It wasn't like a definite plan (to bowl Deonarine). As the game progressed, we wanted to rotate other bowlers. When he got the wicket, we told him he is part of history now. Maybe that was his (Tendulkar) last innings now and wanted to play well."

"I thought he (Deonarine) bowled well to him and was fortunate enough to get him out. After we came to the dressing room, we told him job well done in getting the master out," he added.

Shillingford was hopeful that the batsmen could apply themselves and bat for two days and bail the visitors out of trouble.

"Three wickets are down but that is how the game goes. We have to bat for two days. There is still a lot of batting to come. It is a matter of application and the guys are getting together and get the job done," he said.

"On the first day, the wicket was on the downside, the ball was doing a bit and the ball was spinning more. As the day progressed, it started slowing down a bit. I still think it is a wicket where our batsmen can come and get big runs.

"It is a matter of application, once your players have (settled) on the wicket, you can get good runs from the wicket," he added.

Shillingford would have also bagged the wicket of centurion Rohit Sharma when he was on 85 but for a no-ball. When asked about that, he said: "I knew he was coming (out of the crease), so the extra effort is what brought me over the line. Unfortunately that is how the game goes."